Hand-operated mechanism for propelling boats and canoes



Feb. 17, 1959 A. l. BAASTRUP 2,873,713

HAND-OPERATED MECHANISM FOR PROPELLING BOATS AND cANoEs Filed Dec. 1, 1955 INVENTOR. Ange l. Baastrup ATTORNEY United States HAND-OPERATED MECHANISM Fon PROPE'LL* l -LIlG BOATS lAND CANOES v Ange I. Baastrup, Rutherford, N. J.

-Application'Deceinibe'r 1, 1955,r Serial No.550,2v90V V''This inventionrelates to ahand-operated mechanism for propelling row boatsfand canoes. p It is' the principalV object of the presentinvention to jprovide in ya hand-operated mechanism for ypropelling stroke, which ,are mountedv upon vertically-swingable members that can be Aadjusted in a simple` manner .with 'the blades byhnd-operated.cables tochange the. propelling direction of the blades vor torender .theblades free from use. and Qadjusted to .aneutral position.

operated mechanisinfor propelling boats .and.canoes which is of simple construction, inexpensive `to manufactur`e,"has` a minimum number of parts, light in weight, adjustable to'differentwidth boats, easily installed upon the boat or canoe, easy to manipulate, compact, durable and rugged, easy to4 adjust, effective in use and eicient in operation. d y y j A For other objects andfor a betterunderstanding ofthe invention, reference may behad tothe followingfdetailed description 'taken in 'connection .with the.. accompanying drawing, in which w y, p "Figurejl is la perspectivel `vievsof a .,boatzand of the hand-operated,mechanismk ofthe present invention mounted thereon,

Fig. 2 is an` enlarged transverse sectional view taken through 4the yboat andlooking in, elevation uponthe mechanism 4andupo'niboth sides `of the mechanism, this view being'takenonfline Iv-2.,oi:`.y Fig. l, d y

Fig. 3'is a sideeleva'tional view ofthe mechanism :with the blades extended to the side of the mechanism 4to effect the forward propulsion of the boat,

' Fig. 4 is vafragmentary elevational view lof the mechanism with the blades extended downwardly and rendered ineffective, portions of the support arm being broken away toshow an adjustable cable arrangement-therewithin, Y

' Fig..5 is'a sideelevational-view off the mechanism l'with the blades extended to the operative or forward face of the mechanism to reverse the direction of movement of the boat or canoe,

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the lower end of one of the arms as viewed on line 6-6 of Fig. 5,

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken through the cross arm and upon the handle for effecting the adjustment of the blades, this view being taken generally on line 7-7 of Fig. 4,

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken through the shaft on which the cable-adjusting arm or lever is mounted and as viewed on line 8-8 of Fig. 7,

2,973,713 Vl-atented Feb. 17, 195.9

"Figfyis an"enlar'ge`d" longitudinal sectional view of Fig." lOis Va'transverse sectional Aview taken' upon line Referring now to 'tl i`e"g'ures`,'ltl'represents a boat `having'gur1wale's 11"and 12 to `which the handfoperated xpropelling mechanism 'of "the present invention, and indicated'generallyf atfllai isi'connected for fore and Valt movement" by-jourr`1al bearing brackets '14 and' 15. The -user'of the batwill sit'on'd'aseat 16 and facingthe rearof vthe-boat in'pos'itiorrto graspv the mechanism 13 'along the gtop'thereof vAsthe" user of the boat pulls -forwardly af"reai'th'1n'st'isniade in the'water in a manner tobeflater-*describedtocause the boat to move' for- `wardly.

'f This, hand-operated mechanism l13 includesv generally a-top@h'and--grip'bar` or sleeve 17, adjusting sleeves 18 and f1?, landdepending garms *20 land 21 having respectively separable blade devicesi22and23 thereon. p yRods 24-and-24extendthrough an'upper bar'assembly and sleeve 17 and the vmechai'iism extendedr to adapt it for @The adjusting'sleeve 18;V is Vsecured by' pins 26v land 26 Y l toan-innerlsleeve27fthat is 'ournall'edA in'an Ao enin Other objects of the invention are to .provide a. handf v l p g be adjustedl `or turned.

-The adjusting sleevel19 on theopposite end ofthe bar assembly and upon the rod "24' ,isl similarly' `connected through a sleeveg28sto `a lever `33 and secured against axial displacementtherefrom by a nut34 ,threaded upon theend ofitlre rod'- 24l'I "The sleeve 128 similarly extends through theupper l"eridofFthe arrn 21. The arms and 21 respectively have horizontal portions 35 and4 36 that respectively extend through theb'earinghbrackets 14 and 15.7 vIt""\vill be Lapparentthattheadj'ustable ysleeves 18` andi1`9 canbe-turned relative to thehandle jbar'lfl to adjust-*or turn the -levers"29 :and 33.*"Th`e lower end of the arm lztlhasfbifurcat'ed portion's'l37and 38,v Figi 6, in'which is `jou'rnalleda transversepin'f39. Fixed to the pin 39 land-1lying between a"bifurcated portion 37 and '38. for. rotational adjustment therein is va verticallyextending `:swingable plate `fmemb`er 40 on the opposite sidesof which are respectively lfxed pulley...elements '41 andv .42 to `which are respectively: connected acablesl 43 a'ndf44 byrespectiveqpins ,45y and .46 and whichtrun upwardly, .through theiarm .12()y and out of the horizontal portion 35 for- `connection .with holes lin the igespective opposite yends of the lever'29 as indicated respectively at 47 and 48. Through the adjusting sleeve 18, lever 29, cables 43 and 44, pulleys 41 and 42, and the swingable member 40, which carries hingeably collapsible paddle blades 50 and 51 that are opened and closed as the mechanism is worked by a pull on the bar section 17, the swingable member with the blades can be swung to a neutral position from a position that moves the boat forwardly or continued through to a position that moves the boat rearwardly. When the lever 29 is turned to the horizontal position as shown in Fig. 4, the swingable member 40 is extended so that the blades 50 and 51 are lowered to a neutral position where they are ineffective upon the water. The blades are hinged to the lower A' edge of the swingable member 40 by double hinge sets 52 and 53. The paddle blades 50 and 51 are permitted to close in upon oneanother up to central stops 54 on the vertical edge of the swingable member 40 and adapted to extend between the blades 50 and 51, so that the blades can only close to within a slightangle from one another. By this means, the blades are readily separated as they are moved into the water.

The swingable member 40 is adjusted to have the blades 50 and 51 in the trailing position as shown in Figs. l and 3. At this time a shoulder 55 abuts the side of the propelling arm 20 and the swingable member 40 will be held in this position by an over center tension spring 56 connected to a mid-projection 57 on the swingable member 40 and anchored at an elevated point 58 on the propelling arm 20. The lever 29 will then have been adjusted into the position shown through an are of forty-live degrees from a neutral horizontal position. As the adjusting lever 29 is turned from the neutral position in the opposite direction through forty-live degrecs therefrom, the device 22 is reversed so that an opposite shoulder 55' on the swingable member 40 will engage the propelling arm 20 as shown in Fig. 5. When the levers 29 and 33 are adjusted to extend to a horizontal position the blade device will be extended to the position shown in Fig. 4 and ineffective when moved through the water. The mid projection 57 extends beyond the opposite sides of the edge of the swingable member 40 and respectively serves as stops for the blades 50 and 51 to limit their opening movement, Fig. 10.

As the user of the boat pulls on the bar assembly 17, the blades 50 and 51 will open and a forward thrust will be given tothe boat. As the operator pushes rearwardly, the paddles or blades will fold together and pass easily through the water and'be positioned for the next pulling stroke. To adapt the mechanism for reversing the operation of the steering of the boat, the hand sleeves 18 and 19 are turned to cause the lever to assume the position shown in Fig. 5. For turning the boat only one of the blade devices need to be adjusted .to the reversing direction and that one depending upon the direction in which the boat is to be turned.

While various changes may be made in the detailed construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the depending claims.

What is claimed is: j

l. A hand operated `mechanism for propelling boats and vcanoes which comprises a transversely-extending handle bar assembly, propelling arms connected at their ends to the handle bar assembly and adapted to be respectively attached to the respective sides of the boat for fore and aft swinging movement, a pair of hingeably collapsible paddle blades connected to the lower ends of each propelling arm for angular adjustment about a horizontal axis between forward and reverse propulsion and neutral positions, and hand operable means upon the handle bar assembly and propelling arms connected respectively to each pair of paddle blades whereby said blades may be angularly swung or adjusted between the forward, neutral and reversing positions upon the handle bar assembly and while the propelling arms are being swung, the lower end of the propelling arm being bifurcated and the swingable member being disposed therebetween, and said hand operable means including pulley members connected to the swingable member and a lever mounted for pivotal adjustment on the upper end of said arm and cable cords extending downwardly through the propelling arm and connected respectively to the respective pulleys respectively in opposite directions thereover.

2. A hand-operated mechanism for propelling boats or canoes as defined in claim 1, and said swingable member having stop shoulders thereon adapted respectively to engage one side or the other of said arm as the blade devices are adjusted to the forward or reverse positions, and an over-center tension spring connected between the swingable member and the lower end of the arm and adapted to hold the swingable member by either of their shoulders against the lower ends of the propelling arms.

3. A hand-operated mechanism for propelling boats and the like as defined in claim 1, and said handle bar assembly comprising rod means extendingthrough the upper ends of said propelling arms, adjustable handle sleeves revolvable upon said rod means and said levers being pivoted upon said rod means and xed to said handle sleeves.

4. A hand-operated mechanism for propelling boats and the like as defined in claim 1, and said handle bar assembly comprising rod means extending through the upper ends of said propelling arms, adjustable handle sleeves revolvable Yupon said rod means and said levers being pivoted upon said rod means and xed to said handle sleeves, and said rod means comprising two operating rods, an intermediate handle sleeve disposed between the adjusting sleeves, one of said rods fixed to said intermediate handle sleeve and the other rod releasably fixed to said intermediate handle sleeve whereby upon release of said rod the mechanism can be axially adapted for diiferent width boats or canoes.

5. A hand operated mechanism for propelling boats and canoes which comprises a transversely-extending handle bar assembly, propellingarms connected at their ends to the handle bar assembly and adapted to be respectively attached to the respective sides of the boat for fore and aft swinging movement, a pair of hingeably collapsible paddle blades connected to the lower ends of each propelling arm for angular adjustment about a horizontal axis between forward and reverse propulsion and neutral positions, and hand operable means upon the handle bar assembly and propelling arms connected respectively to each pair of paddle blades whereby said blades may be angularly swung or adjusted between the forward, neutral and reversing positions upon the handle bar assembly and while the propelling arms are being swung.

References Cited in the lile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Parks -4 May 3l, 1921 

